Meals serve as token of appreciation

'Thanks' for lunch

So there is such a thing as a free lunch.

Lawrence City commissioner Sue Hack, left, serves Susan Boose pizza in the parking lot of the Sauer-Danfoss manufacturing plant in the East Hill Business Park. Chamber officials served free lunches for more than 700 employees in the park Thursday in recognition of Business

More than 700 employees found that out Thursday at the East Hills Business Park, as a handful of business leaders, government officials and Lawrence Chamber of Commerce administrators served up free pizza, cookies and drinks during the first of three “Pizza and Thanks” events scheduled during Business Appreciation Month.

“It’s just a small token of our appreciation for all the work that they do,” said Heather Ackerly, manager of existing business programs for the chamber.

Fifteen volunteers spent two hours shoveling out 120 pizzas, 900 drinks and 1,110 cookies to employees who had lined up in the parking lot outside Sauer-Danfoss Inc.

The “Pizza and Thanks” program is co-sponsored by the chamber, Berry Plastics and Lynn Electric.

Food and drinks also will be served to employees June 9 outside M-Pact in the M-Pact Business Park in Eudora, and then again June 16 outside Berry Plastics’ Packerware plant in the Riverside Business Park off North Iowa Street in Lawrence.

In all, about 2,400 employees will be expected to enjoy free lunches, Ackerly said. The program started in 2003 with hot dogs, and has grown since.